AT&T and JetBlue Airways are the latest sponsors to pull out of the June 11 National Puerto Rican Day Parade because the festival will honor Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera, a former leader of FALN, which carried out fatal bombings in the 1970s and 1980s. He spent more than 35 years in prison before having his sentence commuted by President Barack Obama. Parade organizers, standing by their decision to honor López Rivera, said he “was never charged with carrying out the acts of violence.” Continue reading →

Immigrants, educators and local elected officials rallied today at Queens Borough Hall to push for continued funding for adult literacy classes. More than 5,700 students across the city are enrolled in such programs, which will essentially be eliminated without funding. The city gave $12 million to adult literacy last year. The rally was organized by the New York Coalition for Adult Literacy, Make the Road New York, CUNY programs, local libraries and union training programs. In the city, 2.2 million adults lack English proficiency and/or a high school diploma. Continue reading →

For a century, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has been free to visitors, only asking for a “suggested” admission fee of $25 for adults. But the city-owned museum is facing a $15 million budget deficit due to management missteps. The museum has had to cut costs and lay off staff, so over the past year Met leaders have considered a mandatory fee that would likely generate tens of millions of dollars a year in revenue. The current “suggested” fee makes up only 13% of the Met’s overall revenue. Last year the museum settled a legal challenge to its admissions policy. Lawsuits claimed that the wording on signs was deceptive and pressured visitors to pay $25. Continue reading →

In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, South Carolina’s Republican members of Congress voted against sending federal aid to flood-ravaged communities. Now South Carolina is asking for money from Washington to deal with devastating flood damage there , raising the question of whether New York’s congressional delegation should respond in kind. Critics have noted that South Carolina lawmakers have railed against government spending and belittled global warming, adding to the irony of their request for flood relief. Continue reading →

Thousands of emergency-room visits have been triggered by the use of a drug called K2, also known as spice or synthetic marijuana, which has been sold in bodegas for as little as $1. The drug has been attracting users because it is less expensive and possession is merely a health code violation. But it appears to be more dangerous than marijuana, as it comes in many formulations, and users sometimes become violent. City Councilman Rafael Espinal said last week, “Legalizing marijuana would go a long way toward dissolving the K2 market.” Continue reading →

Every year on Labor Day, the festivities associated with West Indian American Day in Brooklyn are marred by violence, and Monday’s was no exception. A lawyer for Gov. Andrew Cuomo was shot in the head at 3:40 a.m., apparently hit by a stray bullet during gang-related gunfire. Another reveler was fatally stabbed and a third was shot in the buttocks. Police officers infamously castigated the event on social media four years ago. Defenders of the celebration say any event with 1 million people is likely to have some incidents, and that the crime rate on Labor Day in Brooklyn is normal in the city. Police Commissioner William Bratton said gang violence and crime in the area is “no reason to not go forward with the events each year.” Continue reading →

Comely women wearing nothing but bikini bottoms and paint have been posing with visitors in Times Square in exchange for tips. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday he doesn’t accept the practice and said the city will “deal with it very aggressively,” but didn’t say how. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that it reminds him of the “bad old Times Square” and threatens the area’s tourism industry. No evidence has emerged that businesses are being hurt, however, and tourism in the city has been setting new records annually. It is legal for women to be topless in the city, just as it is for men, such as the Naked Cowboy. Continue reading →

City Council leaders on Monday celebrated a half-million-dollar allocation in the city budget to develop and expand centers for day laborers. Funding will pay for “dignified physical space” for the workers to meet as well as “referrals to job or support services, legal services to address issues such as wage theft, [and] workforce training and development,” according to a council press release. Continue reading →